Many of us dream of becoming an action film star and that was Jc Macs dream as well from an early age, and now this East London boy has made it to Hollywood and stars in action and comedy films for a living. Final Fitness wanted to find out how he made the dream come true, and how fitness played a big part in keeping him in action man shape for his jobs.

FF. So how did this all start did you always have an interest in acting at an early age.

Macs. Hi David what a good question er so yes, next question? ha ha only kidding.
 
My first role was in Snow White and the 8 dwarves at primary school. No I grew up in a tough neighborhood where drama classes etc were frowned upon as for wimps. In fact drama lessons at school normally ended in a good bundle after we had staged yet another 'slow motion theatrical fight' (you can imagine). So our headmaster a very clever teacher when I was about 7 years old came up with the idea of Snow White for our school play.
 
All the kids loved the film so all wanted to play the dwarves so if we promised to be good in all lessons then we would be in with a shot. Funny how you always remember a good teacher?  Mr Hurst was his name.  Anyway this guys plan worked perfectly in fact so well that all the naughty by nature kids suddenly started behaving and the classrooms became a peaceful places. When he came to cast the play we had all been good but guess who was standing at the end of the line? You've guessed it so I became Clumsy the eighth dwarf. I remember my big moment coming when I had to nearly knock the teapot over, fond memories, the rest of the time I think we was mostly entering in and out of the classroom in a line in our brightly colored costumes, I remember loving it and I think a passion was born.

FF. When you were younger was sport a big thing in your life and if so what sports.

Macs. My family were working class and from the East End of London, ‘no namby pambies in our family’ I remember my grand father telling me. So there was never any question what sport I was going to do, boxing. My grandparents brought me up, we moved out to Essex when I was 5 years old, my old mum (grandmother) had a fair punch on her and had these amazing stories of knocking out blokes in fights back in the East End and always came to my local fights.  My old dad kept every one of my trophies which he always polished and was as proud as punch. They were tough people but incredibly larger than life characters with hearts of gold, sadly both dead now, I miss them a lot.

FF. Has sport and staying active always been a part of your life.

Macs. I guess I was your average naughty school boy, I loved a good kick about and enjoyed most sports at school. I was particularly good at middle distance running like 800 and 1500 metres. I liked cross country too but my mates always thought it was a great opportunity to bunk of down the sweet shop then take a short cut later and finish near the end. Which was a shame because I was actually pretty good at it and enjoyed it.
 
When they were off school I would finish near the front, the teachers must have thought it odd.
I did well at my boxing club Castle Colchester winning best prospect and club champion in successive years. Later I got into Wado Ryu karate and later still Thai boxing and kick boxing. I actually moved back to London to forward my boxing career. I then started working with weights to build myself up which led to some modeling work and later working with a dance show.  

FF. Have you always seen yourself being an actor, was it always your dream.

Macs. I think that's actually well put, I'm not sure I always saw myself as being an actor but it was certainly my dream. Unbeknown to most people Chico was writing and recording music for over ten years before his X-Factor success. We were doing well with various dance shows and toured over 20 countries in 5 years. I remember him saying to me, 'come on Bro we could be pop stars like Wham I'll sing the songs and you can dance about a bit' I said to him 'Sure OK why not? I guess it will then be a lot easier to step across then and do movies' ha ha makes me laugh now. So we performed and recorded songs for a few years as Machico, we never got that record deal but Chico stayed true to his dream and the rest is history.
 
FF. So how did you get into acting
 
Macs. Well I came to the realization that if you are going to be good at anything just like working out you need to get proper training. So when our pop star dreams didn't materialize I enrolled in a two year drama course at 'The City Literature Institute' in the heart of London's west end. I followed this with working with 'The Impulse Theatre Company' in Camden then joined 'The Actors Centre' in Covent Garden. Over a period of around 5 years I think I did every conceivable workshop and approach that I could find. I loved it from Meisner to Method, Strasberg to Stanislaski I couldn't get enough. I remember saying to my friends at the time 'I would rather do a workshop than go to a nightclub or see a beautiful girl' I was like a machine. I absorbed as much information as I could and a bit like martial arts took bits and pieces that worked for me and formed my own approach.
 
FF. So what was your first job
 
Macs. I started with commercials, at the time I had long hair and was in great shape so was generally either cast as a rock star or kinda buff boy / Chippendale. My first feature film was being chased down the street almost naked by an angry gangster with a gun after being caught in a compromising position with his wife in Dave Courtney's gangster movie 'Hell to Pay'.
We got some strange looks running through the centre of London dripping wet and almost naked being shot at by an angry skinhead again and again, I can tell you.
 
FF. Most of your films are Gangster films, is this some thing you have always been interested in, and if so why  

Macs. What can I say? I guess I just look like a gangster ha ha. No in seriousness from the minute you walk into an audition casting people are making judgements about you. The way you look in your head shot, the way you talk, walk etc. I have heard it said that most people know from 30 seconds of meeting you whether you are right for a certain role or not. So somehow I don't see myself getting cast as Romeo any time in the near future but if you need a funny tough guy!

FF. As well as your films being gangster in style, most of the characters you play have a comic element we like this a lot at final fitness. which has been your favorite character to play and why.

Macs. Great question, you know what some people are born tough, some rough and some are just born funny. I grew up on Rambo and Terminator so I fancied myself as a bit of a tough guy. I have done some serious tough guy roles but even lot's of those lent towards the funny so I just gave into it. They say that laughter is the medicine of the soul so I don't want to scare people to death but if I can tickle there funny bone well just the thought of that makes me smile. My favorite character to play so far has been Cooper in 'Hit The Big Time' which was an even dumber and more useless version of Parker who I played In 10 dead Men.
 
This guy is part of a double act, Cooper and Crouch who are useless English hit men who somehow manage to get the job done but more by luck than judgement. Crazy, chaotic, stupid but lovable (can you see a pattern forming here) Plus this film was shot in Hollywood, Las Vegas, Orange County, Utah and London which was just too cool.

FF. Have you had many films that you have had to train for. If so what were they and how did you train.

Macs. I did a comedy horror film 'Stagnight a few years back that I think is currently being shown again on Zone horror in the UK. My character Wolf is a wanna-be Rambo stripper, lovable but dumb. There's a scene near the end where I strip off down to a G string to fight the killer marauding knight to save my buddy. It's a very funny scene but the director Simon Cathcart really wanted me in tip top shape, we’re talking Rambo. I prepared for the role for 6 weeks, I was already in good shape so I upped the cardio by going back to the street and doing roadwork 4 times a week combined with high intensity low weight training with short rest periods. A close friend of mine Daniyela (now Chico's wife) helped me with my diet and only prepared me low carb high protein meals, I was happy with the results and it was a great team effort.

10 Dead Men was great to work on, lot’s of great stunts and fantastic martial arts. I prepared for this but training Thai boxing with Eltham Warriors in South London. This is a really tough gym with some great fighters including world champions, nobody pulled any punches down there and I had some real tear ups behind closed doors. The gym is actually owned by English actor Tammer Hassan and the main trainer down there is Lee Whittington who is a real gentlemen who showed me some great moves.

FF. Being in gangster and macho films you have to have a certain look, have you always trained dieted in the same way to maintain this look, or have you had to change what you do.

Macs. Training for me has been a way of life for as long as I can remember, from school sports to boxing and martial arts to generally trying to be fit and healthy and of course for vanity, Also it keeps me sane and when I am positive in my training I find I am positive in all the other areas of my life. I actually qualified as a YMCA fitness instructor around 12 years ago and taught school kids for a while but had to give it up due to not having enough hours in the day. Now depending upon the role I change my training accordingly. I recently did a psychological boxing thriller called '45' which has just won a couple of awards and is doing very well on the film festival circuit. Now in this I play an ageing middleweight boxer passed his best who keeps reliving the same day over and over. The boxing part was easy but I decided that this guy should look ok but not great so I ate whatever I liked and didn't overdo the cardio, is was great, I loved it. Chico was also in this film and I gave him a black eye during filming, nice one brother ha ha I mean sorry bro it was an accident honest.  

FF. what is your next film out and when is it out, tell us a bit about it.

Macs. On September 18, 2009 31 North 62 East (Too Close Too The Truth) is theatrically released in the UK. It's a political thriller about a corrupt English prime minister who gives up an S.A.S units position in the gulf for power and political gain. I play a special forces soldier alongside some great actors. John Rhys-Davis of Indiana Jones fame, Marina Sirtis from Star Treck and Craig Fairbrass from Cliffhanger and most recently seen in Rise of the Foot Soldier to name but a few. I had great fun jumping in and out of helicopters and running around with a machine gun, it's a great story shot in Surrey and Jordan by talented director Tristan Lorraine, I believe the sequel is already being developed so fingers crossed I get play action man again.

FF. The classic question, were do you see yourself in the future, what are your goals.

Macs. I'm English and proud of it but unfortunately there's not a lot of films being made in the UK with decent budgets. I know of many brilliant projects that just can't secure funding. I have had a degree of success in the UK but too really take my career as far as it can go I have recently relocated to Hollywood. I guess the dream is to be Hollywood A list and to be playing principle characters in studio movies alongside superstars like Robert Deniro, Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins or any of the other greats. Not to mention work with great directors like Spielberg, Tarrantino or perhaps Guy Richie would be a trip. If your reading this Guy give my agent a hola and let’s do pie and mash and talk it over.  
 
English actors are well respected in Hollywood, I think there's never been a better time to be here and some Brits are doing fantastic here. Jason Statham seems to be every bodies favorite tough guy, Gerald Butler is flying high and even Russell Brand is doing some good stuff, he made me laugh in Forgetting Sarah Marshal, so I’m feeling foolishly, I mean quietly confident.
 
FF. Extra question So what's next for you?
 
Macs. I have hit the floor running in Hollywood, I'm currently preparing for two feature films over here, one is a comedy 'Ghost Quest' which is not unlike Ghost Busters about a group of ghost investigators. I play a playboy psychic who when not chasing ghosts is chasing women, there are some very funny actors attached and I think this project is going to be a barrel of laughs from start to finish. The other in a psychological thriller called 'Retro Repo' in this I play a psycho biker and is my first venture into playing an all out bad guy. I get to ride a harley and have some great fighting / action sequences so am really looking forward to that.

FF. Has the English gangster actor who now lives and works in Hollywood got any words for up and coming actors who also want to follow there dreams. Give us your wise words.
 
Macs. If your looking for words of wisdom you may have come to the wrong place but I'll share my thoughts with you.
I believe you can be anything you choose to be in this world you just have to believe in yourself and go for it. Work hard, get some decent proper training and remember to have fun. Try to enjoy the journey because it's not just about the destination, make sure you make time for fun and laugh a lot along the way. What an absolute privilege it is to make a living doing something you love. Someone has got to be the next big thing so why not make it you or me!
My moto is ‘What’s the point of having dreams if not to live them’ Dream big, don’t listen to doubters, believe in yourself and enjoy turning your dreams into a reality and hey if you make it big in Hollywood be sure to look me up and gissa job he he.
 
For more information on JC Mac please see his official website www.jcmac.couk or for his Hollywood occasional blog see http://www.youtube.com/user/UKactorinHollywood

 Photography Darren Paul www.darrenpaul.com